The borough of Wandsworth will be the centrepiece of the grand celebration that has been organised to mark the 60-year reign of the Queen.
 
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will see a 1,000-boat tribute to Her Majesty set off from Putney on June 3rd, while Battersea Park plays host to a day-long Jubilee-themed festival.
 
Organisers have said the celebration will be one of the largest public events ever held in London.
 
The Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park will feature different zones dedicated to design, music, fashion, art, film and food from each of the six decades of the Queen’s reign.
 
It is billed as the ultimate destination for pageant-goers, who can take advantage of a raft of attractions, including a traditional fun fair, a bandstand tea dance, a mini-museum, seaside-themed craft workshops and a main stage with live music.
 
The festival will begin at 12pm in anticipation of the seven mile-long flotilla – which will take 90 minutes to pass any given point – and continue until 7pm.
 
Some 20,000 participants are expected to take to the water for the epic flotilla, watched by millions of people lining the river banks and a global audience on television, as it heads to Tower Bridge.
 
It will be divided into 10 sections that are separated by musical herald barges playing contemporary and classical music.
 
The flotilla will be led by a hand-built 88ft rowbarge called Gloriana, and feature modern rowboats, Dragon boats and boats carrying the flags of the Commonwealth nations, Realms, Territories and Dependencies.
 
The Queen will travel in a new Royal Barge in the third section from the front.
 
Leader of Wandsworth Council, Councillor Ravi Govindia, said: “It is a great honour for the borough to be chosen to play such a leading role in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
 
“The sight of hundreds of boats sailing alongside Her Majesty promises to be a once in a lifetime event that should not be missed.
 
“And to have Battersea Park welcoming visitors from around the globe and sharing in the celebration is yet another reason to look forward to it.”
 
The Diamond Jubilee Festival will be curated by Hemingway Design and artist Clare Patey. For more information about the festival and the flotilla visit www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org
 
January 19, 2011